New Indictment Accuses Maduro of Political Torture

We've known that the former Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro has been in a world of trouble ever since American special forces, in one of the most audacious military operations in recent history, literally swooped into the Venezuelan capital, snatched him and his wife out of their bed in the middle of the night, and flew them back to the United States to face charges.

Now, according to an AP report, the list of charges has grown to include torture. 

U.S. authorities charged former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro with conspiring to torture his fellow citizens in order to maintain his hold on power. The new indictment, unsealed Thursday, adds pressure on the ousted authoritarian leader already fighting drug trafficking offenses.

Maduro, who was previously charged with participating in a conspiracy to send cocaine into the U.S., is now also facing allegations of human rights abuses during his reign as president of the oil-rich South American nation.

“He authorized the use of torture against specific individuals and oversaw a system designed to use torture, arbitrary detention and violence as a means of repression against the political opposition,” says the revised indictment, which newly charges Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, with torture conspiracy.

We might note that this is how communists and socialists generally stay in power, once they've gained control: By threats, by intimidation, by torture, by force. T'was ever thus, from Russia's October Revolution to Cuba to North Korea to, yes, Venezuela. And if you have a hard time believing it, just take a look at any stretch of video of a leftist "protest" right here in the United States, and see which side it is that seems always to be calling for violence in service of their agendas.

Now it seems Venezuela is on the cusp of something new; it may well follow Argentina and Brazil into a more market-oriented, human rights-centered form of government.

None of that would be possible, of course, had not the odious Maduro been ousted by the United States. Now, in addition to the drug-trafficking charges he and his wife were already under indictment for, we can add this: here are some details.

The allegations include electric shocks, beatings and asphyxiation at Maduro’s behest. The indictment accuses the ex-president of signing off on methods of torture and personally threatening the killing of one prisoner’s child “as a form of psychological torture.”

The catch, of course, is this: The current government in place in Caracas is not engaging in these tactics, at least, not that we know of. The current acting El Presidente, Delcy Rodríguez, has been open to working with the Trump administration, particularly where sales of Venezuelan oil are concerned. But Rodriguez was a Maduro creature, having served as his vice president, which casts something of a pall on USA-Venezuela relations; things will be a lot more stable after Venezuela holds open, honest elections, currently expected to take place in 2028 — as of this writing no actual date has been set.

In the meantime, Nicolás Maduro and his wife are where they belong, in an American jail, not only being called to account for their crimes but also serving as an example to any other would-be Central or South American dictators. And, as we see now, the list of charges against them is growing.

Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s bold leadership, we are once again respected on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on notice.

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